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A Cowpea Artificial Diet for Noctuid Larvae

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

Olusola A. Adeyeye
Affiliation:
Entomology Department, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, U.S.A.
Murray S. Blum
Affiliation:
Entomology Department, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, U.S.A.
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Abstract

A low cost artificial diet was formulated from materials which are locally available in Africa. The diet utilized cowpea, sorghum and corn instead of pinto bean and wheat which are widely used in the USA. The new diet was as satisfactory as the pinto bean diet for all the biological criteria tested. On a pinto bean diet, pupation and eclosion required 14.3 ± 1 and 26.3 ± 1 days, respectively. On the cowpea diet, 14.6 ± 1 and 26.9 ± 1 days were required, respectively. Ninety-eight per cent of adults eclosing on each diet were viable. Females eclosing on the cowpea diet laid 739 ± 53 eggs of which 59 ± 2% hatched. On the pinto bean diet, 774 ± 62 eggs were laid per female with 61 ± 2% hatching. Pupal weights were 526 ± 22 and 537 ± 28 mg when larvae were reared on the pinto bean and cowpea diets, respectively. Food consumption and utilization by larvae reared on the new diet were comparable with those of larvae reared on the popular pinto bean diet.

Résumé

Un régime artificiel et bon marché a été constitué à l'aide de produits localement disponibles en Afrique. Ce réegime contenait du sorgho, du maïd et une varieté de niébé (Vigna sinensis), au lieu du haricot commun (Phaseolus vulgaris) habituellement utilisé aux Etas-Unis d'Amérique. Cette nouvelle ration s'est révélée aussi satisfaisant que le régime à base de haricot commun pour tous les critéres biologiques testés. Avec la ration à base de haricot commun la formation de nymphes et l'éclosion ont requis respectivement 14,3 ± 1 et 26,3 ± 1 jours. Avec la ration à base de niébé, la formation de nymphes et l'eclosion ont requis respectivement 14,6 ± 1 et 26,9 ± 1 jours. Quatrevingt-dix-huit pour cent des adultes éclos sur chaque ration étaient viables. Les femelles écloses sur la ration à base de niébe ont pondu 73,9 ± 53 oeufs, dont 59 ± 2% ont eclos. Quant à la ration à base de haricot commun, 774 ± 62 oeufs ont été pondus par femelle, avec un taux d'éclosion de 61 ± 2%. Le poids des pupes était de 526 ± 22 et 537 ± 28 mg pour des larves élevées avec le haricot commun et le niébé, respectivement. La consommation et l'utilisation des aliments par les larves étaient comparable pour les deux aliments.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1988

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